Chapter 675: The Inferno, Paradise, in the Human World

Chapter 675: Chapter 675: The Inferno, Paradise, in the Human World

And so, the whole kidnapping incident was over.

After they returned, Adrian Quincy insisted that Claire Sinclair go to the hospital for a full physical. He only let her go back to work at the agency after confirming that she was completely fine.

The Hell’s Paradise case was extremely complex, so Claire Sinclair couldn’t afford to waste a single moment. Afraid of missing crucial information, she and Theo Rhodes staked out the entrance to Hell’s Paradise, keeping a close eye on the ongoing investigation.

After a full week, the on-site work for the Hell’s Paradise case was finally complete. The next step was to immediately return to the agency and write the feature article.

Claire Sinclair was the lead writer, with Theo Rhodes assisting. The headline: Hell and Paradise, Here on Earth.

Lede: In a world drained of color by rampant materialism, some were not content. They secretly built a tawdry, sleepless city buried deep underground—a place that was both a paradise and a hell.

The article began by introducing Hell’s Paradise, then detailed its business model, and concluded by profiling some of the people who had passed through its doors.

Each individual story was its own tragedy, often ending in financial ruin and death, or families torn apart.

For those who had spent more than a year in Hell’s Paradise, they left their families with nothing but endless disaster and a pain that would last a lifetime.

One victim, who had been stuck in Hell’s Paradise for over two years, said frankly in an interview: "When I left, I just told her (my wife) I was going away, going to Paradise. I said once I struck it rich, I’d bring her along to enjoy the good life. She thought I’d died. She even had a grave made for me and burned incense on it for two years."

Reporter: Do you regret it?

Victim: "Of course I regret it. It’s like I’m just waking up from a dream. That place is nothing but a money pit."

Reporter: You were there for two years. Did you get anything out of it?

Victim: "It was the sense of accomplishment... You’d suddenly have a lot of money, and you’d just want to double it, to earn even more..."

After the article was published, readers online were stunned. They flocked to share and comment on the story.

"Hell is empty, and the demons are here on Earth."

"Terrifying. I always thought Ghost Town was actually haunted. I never imagined this was the real story."

"I’m speechless. I just... went and took a look at my own basement."

"Are these people out of their minds? Calling that place a paradise is a load of crap. It’s just a money pit."

...

That was correct. The report had omitted any description of "The Inferno District" within Hell’s Paradise. It was related to her sister’s cause of death—a matter that even Claire Sinclair herself did not yet fully understand.

Reporters had no authority to inquire about that part of the story, nor could they write about it.

Still, almost all the truth Claire Sinclair had wanted to expose was contained within that article. At the end, it was signed with her name and Theo Rhodes’s new pen name: "Jasmine Shannon."

When readers saw the byline, the tone of the comments shifted instantly.

"The missing person, Claire Sinclair, has returned!"

"AHHHH, another article from my goddess! She’s incredible!"

"I knew it! Every time Claire Sinclair disappears for a while, she comes back and drops a massive bombshell!"

"Pfft, are they serious with that ’Jasmine Shannon’ name? Why does it make me want to laugh so hard?"

Claire Sinclair stared at the pen name and couldn’t help but roll her eyes at its owner. "Why would a grown man like you pick a pen name like that?" she asked, exasperated.

Theo Rhodes grinned. "I’m going to be the man who presides over the scene of the biggest truths, Master. Don’t you think Jasmine Shannon is a lovely name?"

Claire Sinclair narrowed her eyes. "I really don’t."